Gas and liquid contact apparatus



July 31, 1956 M. M. JALMA 2,756,976

GAS AND LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS Filed Aug. 5, 1952 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 2 i 2 22 K Ml. |H|| 1']. I! "II. 24 /26 III. 11 2:. 20-- 1 INVENTOR.

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July 31, 1956 M. M. JALMA GAS AND LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS 2 Sheets-She s 2 Filed Aug. 5, 1952 MW. T. m M H m C y B GAS AND LIQUID CONTACT APPARATUS Michael M. Jalma, Cranford, N. J. Application August 5, 1952, Serial No. 302,734

7 Claims. (Cl. 26136) This invention relates to equipment for effecting intimate contact between gases and liquids.

There are many types of equipment which are used in industrial and chemical processes for removing or adding constituents to a gas or liquid, or for bringing about a reaction between a gas and liquid. Apparatus of this character has generally fallen into two classes; namely, those wherein the liquid is broken up into finely divided form and brought into contact with the gas; and those in which the gas is divided into bubbles which are passed through a body of liquid. Each type of equipment has certain advantages and uses but the duration and effectiveness of the contact between the gas and liquid in either case makes it necessary to use relatively large and expensive apparatus.

In accordance with the present invention, apparatus is provided by which both types of treatment of the gas may be carried out in a single chamber whereby the effectiveness of the contact between the gases and liquids is increased and the size of the apparatus may be reduced considerably. In general, these results are attained by causing a body of liquid to flow over an apertured surface through which the gases to be treated are passing and thereafter causing the liquid to be broken up into a shower of finely divided particles which are projected through a flowing stream of gas to insure further intimate contact between the liquid and the gas.

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a novel type of equipment for effecting intimate contact between gases and liquids in a manner to insure the desired treatments thereof.

Another object of the invention is to reduce the size and expense of equipment employed for effecting contact between gases and liquids.

A further object of the invention is to provide equipment whereby gases may be subjected to a flowing body of liquid as well as a spray of finely divided particles of liquid in a continuous operation.

A specific object of the invention is to provide equipment wherein a body of liquid is caused to flow over an apertured surface through which gases are passing and thereafter the liquid is broken up into a spray or shower of finely divided particles through which the gases are caused to flow.

These and other objects and features of the present invention will appear from the following descriptions thereof in which typical embodiments are referred to for the purpose of indicating the nature of the invention but without intending to limit the invention thereto.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional View through a preferred type of equipment embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through the construction illustrated in Fig. 1 taken on the line 2-2 thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4 are perspective views of alternative types nited States Patent of apertured surfaces over which a body of liquid may flow in the practice of the present invention, and

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional view through a portion of an alternative type of equipment adapted for use in the practice of the present invention.

In that form of the invention chosen for purposes of illustration in Figs. 1 and 2, the gases to be cleaned, treated or otherwise used in a process are admitted through an inlet pipe 2 to an annular casing 4 surrounding the upper portion of a chamber 6. The inlet pipe 2 is preferably positioned tangentially with respect to the casing 4 so that the gases are given a rotary motion within the casing and will enter the chamber 6 tangentially through apertures 3 in the curved side walls 15) forming the upper portion of the chamber 6.

Within the lower portion of the chamber 6 there is located an impeller 12 mounted on a shaft 14 passing through a packing gland 16. The impeller 12 is designed to be driven at relatively high speed by a motor 13 through a gear box 20. The liquid to be contacted with the gases may be supplied to the chamber 6 through suitable inlet and outlet openings such as the inlet 22 and the outlet 24.

In many instances, it is desirable to circulate the liquid used in the apparatus through an external unit indicated diagrammatically at 26 instead of confining the liquid within the chamber 6 or using a continuously renewed supply of liquid from an external source. When the liquid is circulated through the unit 26 it may be passed from the outlet 24 to unit 26 and return to the inlet 22. The unit 26 may be employed to heat or cool the liquid before it is returned to the chamber 6 or it may serve as a settling chamber, filter, crystallizer or other unit for conditioning or treating the liquid before it is again subjected to contact with the gases within the chamber 6.

The apertures 8 in the upper inwardly curving side wall 10 of the chamber 6 may have various forms as illustrated for example in Figs. 3 and 4. As shown in Fig. 3, the apertures 8 are formed by striking the mate: rial of the wall 10 outward so that it presents an opening 8 projecting into the casing 4 to receive gases and direct them inward along the tapering sides of the aperture to the interior of the chamber 6 without abrupt change in the direction of flow. The gases therefore, are caused to enter the chamber 6 tangentially without imposing material back pressure thereon. At the same time, the gases are divided into a multitude of inclined jets as they enter the chamber.

In the alternative construction shown in Fig. 4, the apertures 8 are formed by striking the material of the side wall 10 inward as shown at 30 with the aperture 8 facing tangentially with respect to the chamber 10 for admitting the gases in jet form into the chamber through a large number of apertures 8. The surface 10 of the chamber may be formed in numerous other ways to admit gas into the chamber 6 through a multitude of openings or in a divided or bubble form using any preferred type of apertured surface or means for this purpose.

The portion 32 of the chamber 6 below the apertured upper surface 10 is circular in cross section and rounded at the bottom so that the impeller 12 is located at the center of a bowl shaped surface and in the lower portion thereof. The impeller is driven at a speed suflicient to force the liquid outward and upward over the rounded surfaces 32 by centrifugal force. The direction of rotation of the impeller is such that the liquid will rotate in the same direction as the gases entering the chamber through the apertures 8. Moreover the arnount of liquid supplied to the chamber 6 is preferably sufficient to maintain a substantially continuous body or stream of liquid flowing over the surface 10 and across the apertures 6. The jets of gas entering chamber 6 through the apertures 55 are thus caused to encounter the rapidly flowing body of liquid and to be carried away from the apertures as rapidly as they enter the chamber 6. in fact, by rotating the liquid in the same direction as tl e gases, the liquid flowing over the apertures 8 may function as a venturi to draw the gases through the apertures 8 reducing the back pressure which might otherwise be imposed on the gases. Furthermore, the radial outward pressure of the liquid resulting from centrifugal force, creates turbulence and eddy-currents in the liquid immediately adjacent the apertures whereby the jets of inwardly flowing gas are further broken up into bubble form insuring the most intimate contact between'the gas and the liquid.

The upper portion of the chamber 6 is'provided with a funnel-shaped outlet member 34 presenting an outer surface 36 which extends downward and inward from the upper portion of the inwardly curving apertured surface It to a central gas outlet 38. The surface 36 thus forms in efiect a continuation of the surface ill whereby the liquid flowing in a rotary direction upward over the side walls of the chamber 6 and over the inwardly curving surface lti is thereafter directed downwardly and inwardly over outer surface 36 of the funnel member 34. The lower marginaledge 46 of the surface 36 preferably is provided with an outwardly flaring extremity or formation serving to break up the downwardly and inwardly flowing rotating liquid so that it is delivered from the edge 49 in the form of a spray or shower of finely divided particles of liquid. The rotary action of the liquid in flowing over a surface of decreasing diameter as it approaches the edge it? is given an increased angular velocity and as a result the sheeting and spraying of the liquid as it returns to the lower portion of the chamber 6 is increased. The shower of liquid particles thus created forms a curtain about the gas outlet 3%.

The gas, after bubbling through the flowing body of liquid circulated over the apertured surface it escapes to the interior of the chamber 6 and thereafter must of necessity flow through the downwardly directed discharge of finely divided particles of liquid showering b into the lower portion of the chamber. In passing to the gas outlet 38 in the center of the chamber at the lower end oi the funnel shaped member 34, the gase are thus subjected to successive treatment in one of which the gases are broken up into jets discharged into a body of liquid, and in the other of which the liquid is broken up into a shower for contact of particles of liquid with the gases passing to the gas outlet 33.

As the gases flow upward through the gas outlet, they continue to rotate in a manner tending to discharge liquid therefrom by centrifugal force. Such liquid is thrown out of the gases against the inner side walls of the funnel shaped member 34 and returns to the chamber being added to the liquid discharging downward from the lower edge of the outer surface of the funnel shaped member.

The upper end of the funnel shaped member 34- communicates with the gas discharge pipe 42 and if desired a filter member indicated at 44 may be positioned between the discharge pipe and the funnel shaped member 54 to remove further liquid or constituents from the gases treated within the chamber 6. The filter member may, of course, serve as a catalyst if such should be desired in any particular process. Liquid removed from the gases by the filter member 44 may be caused to drain centrally by the fins 45 so as to drip back into the funnel member 34- for return to the chamber 6. In the alternative, or in addition, liquid passing out of the chamber 6 with the gases may be returned to the casing 4 and drained oif from time to time or discharged back into the chamber 6 through suitable openings such as indicated at 48 in Fig. 1.

The gases which have been thus intimately and repeatedly contacted with liquid within the chamber 6, pass out 4 of the equipment in a cleaned or thoroughly treated condition.

As shown in Fig. 2, it is frequently desirable to provide a damper or restrictor it which is adjustable to restrict the cross section of the casing 4 adjacent the inlet 2 in a manner to insure passage of the gases through the apertures 3 into the chambero without idle circulation within the casing 4. However, the member may be adjusted automatically by means of a spring or other .vise in response to the pressure of the gases within the casing 1'; so as to assure circumstantially uniform flow cf the gases through the apertures 8 and into the chamber 6 despite variations in pressure or flow of gases to the equipment through the inlet pipe 2.

It will, of course, be evident that equipment embodying the present invention may be used in a wide variety of industrial and chemical processes. Thus, when it is desired to remove any solids which are entr ined in or which travel with gases or any gaseous impurities or obnoxious odors or other constituents contained in or red with a gas, the liquid employed may be water or an acid or alkali adapted to take up, convert, precipitate, or otherwise modify constituents of the gases to be treated. Further, by the use of cold water as the liquid circul ted within the chamber 6, it is possible to employ the applicants equipment as a condenser to condense steam or vapors contained'in gases supplied to the equipment. The equipment further may be used to control the humidity of gases passing therethrough by adding or remofing moisture therefrom. In removing hydrogensulfide or other impurities from industrial gases the liquid circulated may consist of or contain other agents designed to absorb or convert the hydrogen sulfide into soluble or solid sulfides or compounds which may be removed with the liquid to a settling chamber such as unit 26. Similarly, the extraction of substances such as phthalic anhydride from reaction gases may be affected by the equipment in which case the unit 26 may be employed as a crysta g chamber, filter or settling tank. it is, of course, possible when using the equipment of the present invention, to provide a continuously renewed supply of liquid such as water and in any event the amount or level of the liquid containedwithinthe chamber 6 may be controlled any suitable or conventionslmeansv in the alternative form of the invention illustrated in Pig. 5 the funnel shaped member 34 is provided with adjusting means 60 which serve to raise or lower menu ber 34 so as to present a discharge opening 62 between the upper edge of the inwardly curving surface and the outer surface of the funnel shaped member 34. In this construction, at least a portion of the liquid circulating within the chamber 6 and flowing over the apertured surface 19 is allowed to escape outward so as to provide aninitial or preliminary spray treatment ofthe gases with the liquid within the outer casing 4 and before they enter the chamber 6. The liquid thus sprayed outward in pretreating the gases may, of course, be returned to the chamber 6 or it may be discharged from the casing 4 by a suitable drain .such as that indicated at 65.

By reason of the intimate and repeated contacts effected by the equipment of the present invention, the size and costof operating the equipment may be reduced to a minimum. Moreover, the equipment lends itself to a great variety of types of operations and embodies the advantages of both the spray equipment and the bubble towers'heretofore used in treating g ses. Moreover, the centrifugal discharge of the liquid from the rotating gases serves to reduce the loss of liquid used in treating the gases. The size and shape of the equipment employed and the arrangements of the elements may be varied greatly particularly when adapting the equipment for use in different processes. In view thereof, it should be understood that the particular forms of the invention shown in the drawings and described above are intended to be illustrative only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.

I claim:

1. Apparatus for producing intimate contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a chamber of circular cross section having apertures in the side walls thereof, means for directing gas to said apertures, said chamber having a rounded lower portion, a rotary bladed impeller in said lower portion in close proximity to and conforming with said rounded lower portion, and means for rotating said impeller so as to cause liquid in said chamber to be circulated outward and upward by centrifugal force over said apertured side walls to entrain gas entering the chamber through said apertures.

2. Apparatus for producing intimate contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a chamber of circular cross section having apertured side walls in the upper portion only thereof, a casing surrounding said apertured side walls and having a gas inlet for supplying gas to said casing for passage through apertures in said side walls, the lower portion of said chamber below said side Walls having a rounded surface, a rotary bladed impeller located near the center of said lower portion in close proximity to and conforming with said rounded lower portion, power driven means for rotating said impeller to circulate liquid in the chamber outward and upward over the apertured side walls in the upper portion of the chamber by centrifugal force, and a gas outlet communicating with said chamber.

3. Apparatus for producing intimate contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a chamber of circular cross section having apertured side walls, a casing surrounding said apertured side walls and having a gas inlet for supplying gas to said casing for passage through apertures in said side walls, the lower portion of said chamber below said side walls having a rounded surface, an impeller located near the center of said lower portion, power driven means for rotating said impeller to circulate liquid in the chamber outward and upward over the apertured side walls by centrifugal force, the upper portion of said chamber presenting an imperforate funnel shaped surface extending inwardly and downwardly as a continuation of said apertured side walls and surrounding a gas outlet.

4. Apparatus for producing intimate contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a casing of circular cross section having a plurality of tangentially directed apertures in the side walls thereof, a casing surrounding said side walls and provided with a gas inlet for supplying gas to said apertures, said casing having a lower portion which is rounded, an impeller located in said lower portion of the chamber, power operated means for rotating said impeller in a direction to cause liquid in the chamber to flow outward and upward over said apertures under centrifugal force and in the same direction as the gas entering the chamber, the upper portion of said chamber presenting an imperforate funnel shaped surface extending inwardly and downwardly as a continuation of said apertured side walls and surrounding a gas outlet.

5. Apparatus for producing intimate contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a casing of circular cross section having a plurality of tangentially directed apertures in the side walls thereof, a casing surrounding said side walls and provided with a gas inlet for supplying gas to said apertures, said casing having a lower portion which is rounded, an impeller located in said lower portion of the chamber, power operated means for rotating said impeller in a direction to cause liquid in the chamber to flow outward and upward over said apertures under centrifugal force and in the same direction as the gas entering the chamber, the upper portion of said chamber presenting an imperforate funnel shaped surface extending inwardly and downwardly as a continuation of said apertured side walls and surrounding a gas outlet and means for supplying liquid to and removing liquid from said chamber.

6. Apparatus for producing intimate contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a casing of circular cross section having a plurality of tangentially directed apertures in the side walls thereof, a casing surrounding said side walls and provided with a gas inlet for supplying gas to said apertures, said casing having a lower portion which is rounded, an impeller located in said lower portion of the chamber, power operated means for rotating said impeller in a direction to cause liquid in the chamber to flow outward and upward over said aperture under centrifugal force and in the same direction as the gas entering the chamber, the upper portion of said chamber presenting an imperforate funnel shaped surface extending inwardly and downwardly as a continuation of said apertured side walls and surrounding a gas outlet, and a liquid treating circuit having an inlet and outlet communicating with said chamber for treating liquid supplied to said chamber.

7. Apparatus for producing intimate contact between a gas and a liquid comprising a chamber with an upper portion having side walls of circular cross section provided with a plurality of apertures therein, means for directing a gas to flow through said apertures into the upper portion of said chamber, said chamber having a lower portion of circular cross section presenting upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls extending to and forming a continuation of the apertured side walls of the upper portion of said chamber, means located in the lower portion of the chamber for circulating a liquid outward and upward by centrifugal force over said side walls and across the apertures in the side walls of the upper portion of the chamber, and means located above the apertured side walls of the chamber and extending inwardly therefrom for deflecting upwardly flowing liquid inwardly and downwardly to the lower portion of the chamber for recirculation.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,072,849 Hart Sept. 9, 1913 2,138,133 Betzler Nov. 29, 1938 2,233,019 Linderman Feb. 25, 1941 2,337,983 Fisher Dec. 28, 1943 2,435,798 Rice et a1 Feb. 10, 1948 2,599,202 Schimpke June 3, 1952 

1. APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING INTIMATE CONTACT BETWEEN A GAS AND A LIQUID COMPRISING A CHAMBER OF CIRCULAR CROSS SECTION HAVING APERTURES IN THE SIDE WALLS THEREOF, MEANS FOR DIRECTING GAS TO SAID APERTURES, SAID CHAMBER HAVING A ROUNDED LOWER PORTION, A ROTARY BLADED IMPELLER IN SAID LOWER PORTION IN CLOSE PROXIMITY TO AND CONFORMING WITH SAID ROUNDED LOWER PORTION, AND MEANS FOR ROTATING SAID IMPELLER SO AS TO CAUSE LIQUID IN SAID CHAMBER TO BE CIRCULATED OUTWARD AND UPWARD BY CENTRIFUGAL FORCE OVER SAID APERTURED SIDE WALLS TO ENTRAIN GAS ENTERING THE CHAMBER THROUGH SAID APERTURES. 